Retail News CRM

Tag: Fashion

  • China, Japan boost Brunello Cucinelli revenue growth

    China, Japan boost Brunello Cucinelli revenue growth

    Italian luxury house Brunello Cucinelli reported a leap in revenues for the 2018 fiscal year, with all geographic regions recording sales growth, particularly Greater China and Japan. For the year ending December 31, 2018, Brunello Cucinelli said total revenues increased 8.1% to €553 million, (+10.7% at constant exchange rates), compared to €511.7 million in 2017.

    The Solomeo-based company saw a significant rise in sales at 8.8% in the international markets and 4.2% in the Italian market, according to a press release published on the Italian stock exchange on Monday.

    By region, Greater China witnessed the biggest increase with an incredible 28.5% sales growth, followed by the Rest of the World region, up 10.7%, which was lead by Japan and the Middle East. Sales in Europe increased 8.5% and the U.S. saw growth of 3.9%.

    By distribution channel, Brunello Cucinelli’s retail sales gained 6.3% globally, with wholesale monobrand and multibrand up 19.4% and 9%, respectively.

    Capital expenditure for the twelve months was approximately €45 million, with “the objective of keeping the brand image extremely high in both the physical and digital channels,” said the company.

    Net debt narrowed €15 million, a slight improvement compared to 2017.

    “Another year has come to an end in a splendid manner, both in terms of numbers and from the standpoint of the general image of the brand at a global level,” said Brunello Cucinelli, Chairman and CEO.

    “We continue to support, believe in and invest in our beloved Italy, perceiving the great value this represents at a world level for the country’s creativity, quality and craftsmanship.”

    Following the stellar results, which included the sell out of the past winter collections, followed by strong spring/summer 2019 orders, the brand said it expects “another year ahead of gracious growth in line with 2018.”

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  • Design Orchard mall to open end of the month

    Design Orchard mall to open end of the month

    Design Orchard mall is set to open on January 25 hosting 61 homegrown labels. The new Orchard Road mall, a joint venture between the Singapore Tourism Board (STB), JTC Corporation and Enterprise Singapore, is conceived of as a home and exhibition space for local design work. It features a 9000sqft first-floor retail showcase, second floor incubation spaces, and a rooftop events area. The first level is currently leased to local retailer Naiise.

    Featured supports for local designers include co-working spaces provided by Taff – equipped with professional sewing equipment, a fabric library and collaboration and networking opportunities with industry players – and a mentorship program from Naiise covering marketing and merchandising.

    “Singapore is home to many global brands,” explained STB’s director of retail and dining Ranita Sundra, of the rational behind Design Orchard mall.

    “As these brands become more ubiquitous, we noticed that more people are drawn to local products with a Singapore story. Design Orchard is thus an exciting opportunity for us to profile the best of Singapore talent under one roof.”

    “We hope that it will inspire local talents to join the community, where they can develop and grow their brands with access to mentors, programmes and facilities in a vibrant space along Orchard Road,” added director of products at JTC Wee Pei Yean.

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  • Balenciaga launches first in-house eyewear line with Dover Street Market

    Balenciaga launches first in-house eyewear line with Dover Street Market

    French luxury house Kering has launched its first in-house Balenciaga eyewear line at British Dover Street Market stores. The new collection is exclusive to the DSM chain in the US, UK, Japan, Singapore and China, as well as the brand’s e-commerce channel. The high-end products are valued between US$290–570, with both sunglasses and prescription frames available.

    The Balenciaga eyewear line represents the first in-house Kering Eyewear product range. Previous Balenciaga collections were produced under Marcolin Eyewear, the creator of shades for numerous luxury labels.

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  • Storefront opens in Korea

    Storefront opens in Korea

    Storefront, the world’s largest online marketplace for short-term retail space, has officially launched in Seoul. Retail vacancy rates in Korea are on the rise due to a prolonged recession, and more brands are diverting their interests from traditional retail to offer a quality experience to customers in the form of pop-up stores and short-term leases. Storefront has partnered with the Korean marketing and retail firm Kcent to register qualified spaces, sign up leading and emerging brands and give them tools to successfully market their short-term space. The Storefront site will now offer thousands of spaces across Seoul available for pop-up stores, showrooms, and event spaces.

    Storefront maintains a global presence with thousands of quality retail spaces across the world’s largest cities from Paris to London, New York and Hong Kong. This advantage allows any brand to pop-up in any location, test new markets and even launch simultaneously in more than one location worldwide.

    Retail sales in Korea totaled $343 billion in 2016, and this latest partnership in Seoul signals Storefront’s break into the East Asian market with their brand, technology and insights combined with local talent and market expertise.

    “Korea is APAC’s 3rd largest retail market, and most of it is based in Seoul. Pop-up stores and other forms of short-term rentals are already creating a buzz in the trend-savvy Korean market.

    All we needed was a transparent and efficient marketplace like Storefront to leverage this trend.” said Jin Yong Kim, Kcent’s CTO.

    “Korea has a unique culture and language barrier that make it hard for foreign brands to expand their business here. But if they have the right partner and know how to tell their story to Korean consumers, it can be a matter of a few days before they go viral.” adds Kim.

    “Storefront is redefining how companies can locate and activate temporary retail space with its global marketplace for connecting tenants and property owners in an efficient, flexible and transparent way. We are excited to partner with Kcent to bring our expertise to this fast-growing retail capital and introduce the benefits of pop-up stores to thousands of merchants looking to expand into Korea.” said Benoît Clément-Bollée, General Manager, Storefront Asia .

  • Lotte Duty Free sales hit all-time high of US$6.7 billion in 2018

    Lotte Duty Free sales hit all-time high of US$6.7 billion in 2018

    South Korea’s top travel retailer Lotte Duty Free reported best-ever sales of 7.5 trillion won (US$6.7 billion) last year on a surge in online sales and mass purchases by Chinese merchants seeking trade in shuttling goods to China. Lotte Duty Free said its annual sales last year hit a record high of 7.5 trillion won, up 25 percent from a year-ago period. In particular, sales from the online business soared 50 percent on year to 2 trillion won, contributing 25 percent to its total domestic sales thanks to successful upgrades of its online and mobile platforms and various promotional perks like online-only products and discount options.

    Lotte Duty Free’s main store in the bustling shopping district of Myeongdong in downtown Seoul remained the world’s single-largest revenue earner for three years in a row last year with annual sales up 35 percent at 4 trillion won and daily revenue at about 11 billion won as of Dec. 14.

    The Myeongdong store that opened in 1980 has kept on growth with sales reaching over 1 trillion won in 2011, 2 trillion won in 2015 and 3 trillion won in 2016 on increasing demand from individual merchants from the mainland who buy popular Korean duty-free goods in bulk to profit from reselling them in China.

    Lotte Duty Free has expanded its investment in domestic stores to draw more consumers. Its Myeongdong store was expanded in August 2016, and spent 10 billion won to add the Star Lounge for VIP customers in April 2018. The World-Tower store in the affluent Gangnam area of southern Seoul also posted 1 trillion won in sales last year, becoming the largest earner to reach the threshold in the district.

    Meanwhile, Lotte Duty Free World Tower also posted sales of more than 1 trillion won (US$895.4 million), joining what the retailer dubbed the “One Trillion Club” on 23 December.

    That represents an 80 percent increase year-on-year for the Jamsil, Seoul store, which reopened on 5 January 2017, 193 days after it was forced to close on 26 June 2016 due to the loss of its licence in an open tender.

    “Even in the midst of rapid market changes, Lotte Duty Free has been able to achieve a record-breaking year, reflecting 38 years of operational expertise,” said newly appointed Lotte Duty Free CEO Lee Kap. “As a leader in the industry, we will endeavour constantly to improve our performance.”

    Lotte Duty Free said that the World Tower store’s excellent tourist services and differentiated luxury brand offer had generated “remarkable achievements” in 2018. This was despite the proliferation of new duty free stores in the Gangnam area [notably the new Shinsegae Duty Free store opened on 18 July], the retailer commented.

    Despite industry difficulties posed by the THAAD dispute between South Korea and China, sales of small and medium enterprise SME Korean brands at the World Tower store increased by 300 percent year-on-year. This contributed to a “win-win relationship” with SMEs, Lotte said.

    Increased demand by daigou shoppers “greatly influenced” sales said Lotte. The retailer noted that such travellers had compensated for the “stagnation” of conventional Chinese tourism since the THAAD dispute erupted in March 2017. However, Korean travel retail executives and observers are closely monitoring the impact of China’s new e-commerce law, introduced on 1 January 2019, which is expected to hit the daigou business hard

  • Miroglio and Workplace keep collaboration in fashion

    Miroglio and Workplace keep collaboration in fashion

    Miroglio Fashion is the women’s clothing arm of Miroglio Group – a 71-year-old Italian conglomerate operating in 22 countries. The group joined Workplace in 2016. Since then, says CEO Hans Hoegstedt, it has “revolutionized our way of working.” “Over the last few years, the role of the CEO has changed. It is crucial for a CEO today to create culture, to remove filters and blockers so there can be a transparent and constructive dialogue between everyone. I was confident that Workplace was a platform that would help us achieve this,” he explains.

    “We chose Workplace because everyone in the company knows how to use Facebook. And they just instinctively ‘got it’. Right from the first day, people began to spontaneously interact with each other in a genuine way with no training required. We launched Workplace at our annual convention two years ago. Over 1,100 stores in our various brands swung into action along with the head office. We set up all the Workplace groups that we use for various parts of the business, like visual merchandising, product, innovation, communication and so on”.

    The result was instant. Within a short space of time, barriers and distances disappeared. People who had found it difficult to make themselves heard by head office suddenly had a direct, filter-free channel. It has given the company a more innovative and efficient way of working.

    “A clear example is the visual merchandising team. Before Workplace, the team would create a model window and send it out to all the stores by email. With Workplace, the VM team now posts the image of the model window into a group. All the shops reply with their versions, comments, and suggestions. The VM team then provides instant feedback for the stores.

    This allows to have hundreds of examples of how to dress the window instead of just one, and people can take ideas and inspiration from the others. There is a better dialogue and smarter collaboration that results in better window displays.

    Hoegstedt continues “There are functions we did not use at the outset that have now become core features for us. Auto Translate was crucial when we extended the platform to our colleagues in Russia. Everyone posts in their own language and Workplace auto translates. Simple and effective. It’s a powerful way to create a vast international network, and we’ll be relying on the translations as we deploy Workplace in Romania, Spain, and France. We also now use Live Video whenever we present a new collection”.

    “For me, as a CEO, it is also a way of ‘taking the pulse’ of the company. Of getting a quick sense of how people are feeling. It’s a kind of mass collective intelligence.”

    From frontline to back office to HQ, Workplace connects entire retail organisations so they can share, collaborate and transform the customer experience with next-generation technology.

  • PUMA opens their first ever SELECT door in the Philippines

    PUMA opens their first ever SELECT door in the Philippines

    The first Puma Select store in the Philippines has opened. The new store launched last month at the Uptown Mall in Bonifacio Global City in Taguig and features the brand’s latest product range and collaborations – including high-profile partnerships with Fenty, Ken Lagerfeld, and Rihanna. A statement from the firm said the launch coincides with “the burgeoning streetwear scene in the Philippines”.

    The brand’s website says Puma Select “fuses performance with culture and fashion by revisiting Puma’s rich history and innovation as a leading sports brand, and combining this with our philosophy of creating premium product for the willing consumer”.

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  • New Michael Kors to increase focus on Asia

    New Michael Kors to increase focus on Asia

    With the completion of its acquisition of Versace, global fashion group Michael Kors Holding has successfully transitioned into its new identity as Capri Holdings Limited. The group, which now owns Michael Kors, Jimmy Choo and Versace, hopes to leverage its brands to grow group revenue to US$8 billion, while increasing its exposure to the Asia pacific region from 11 per cent to 19 per cent.

    The group also notes an effort to reduce its exposure to the American market, from 66 per cent to 57 per cent, in the long term.

    “We have now created one of the leading global fashion luxury groups in the world,” Capri chairman John D. Idol said.

    However, considering the past performance of these brands, one cannot be certain whether this merged entity can turn them around says IBISWorld senior industry analyst Kim Do, though “Capri Holdings seem confident in their ability to do so.”

    “While many are concerned about the company diffusing its newly acquired brands, similar to that of its own, this is unlikely as, similar to Jimmy Choo’s agreement with Kors Holdings, Donatella Versace will continue to remain the creative director [of] her namesake brand, leading the brand’s creative vision,” Do said.

    “However, while it is likely that Versace will be pushed into new avenues of revenue (such as a stronger focus on Asian markets) it will likely not include mass-retailers – which is how Michael Kors expanded previously.”

    According to Do, IBISWorld expects Capri to hold off on further acquisitions for the time being, and will most likely focus on growing the three brands it now hold in its portfolio.

    In November 2018, the group saw total group revenue decline 32 per cent to $189.76 million (US$137.6 million), from $279.81 million (US$202.9 million) the year prior, which GlobalData Retail managing director Neil Saunders called “disappointing”.

    “Although overall revenue growth looks robust, it continues to be flattered by the acquisition of Jimmy Choo, which has yet to annualise out,” Saunders said.

    “In short, after slowly climbing the steep hill of recovery, Michael Kors now appears to be rolling back down in reverse.”

    Saunders also said the acquisition of Versace could prove to be a distraction that limits the group’s abilities to fix the core problems within it’s main brand.

    In November 2018, the group saw total group revenue decline 32 per cent to US$137.6 million, from US$202.9 million the year prior, which GlobalData Retail MD Neil Saunders called “disappointing”.

    “Given Michael Kors’ relative lack of success with its own label, we do not see the group being able to [easily] undertake the retooling required to generate superior results.”

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  • Mattel to launch BTS doll this summer

    Mattel to launch BTS doll this summer

    Toy retailer Mattel has announced a comprehensive, worldwide licensing agreement with popular South Korean boy band BTS. The creative collaboration will debut the first-ever line of BTS fashion dolls this summer. Under a multi-category license with BTS under its label, Big Hit Entertainment, Mattel will create dolls, collectible figures, games, and more. The collaboration will launch with a toy line created to resemble the band’s seven members – RM, Jin, Suga, J-hope, Jimin, V and Jung Kook – styled after their looks from the YouTube record-breaking “Idol” music video.

    “BTS is a pop-culture music phenomenon that transcends age, culture and language, and through this partnership, Mattel will offer a new way for millions across the world to engage with the band,” said Mattel’s SVP & global brand GM Sejal Shah Miller.

    “Partnering with established franchises that have global appeal is a cornerstone of our strategy and given our creative expertise, we are perfectly suited to create products celebrating BTS”.

    The BTS fashion dolls were unveiled at this week’s Hong Kong Toys & Games Fair.

  • Lululemon opens first store in Macao

    Lululemon opens first store in Macao

    Located in Macao’s bustling premier leisure resort, The Venetian Macao, which is home to world-class casinos, hoteliers and luxury shopping. The store is set to transform the traditional shopping experience with 2,110 square feet of retail, fitness, and community experience unlike any other in Macao. The overall aesthetic of the store is classic and refined. Inspired by the blue sky and the grand canal in Venetian Macao, with touches of golden tone and sun elements throughout the store. The fitting room area also features blue tone to highlight the color of local Macao, as well creating a separated and private area for guests.

    The retail space showcases the premium athletic apparel retailer’s full collection of innovative technical products for run, cycling, yoga, water pursuits and everything in between. The store also features our signature pant wall, designated to help customers find the right pair based on different sensations.

    Behind the cash desk features large digital screens showcasing product stories and the store ambassador films. Next to the cash desk is a community board where guests can find information on complimentary workshops they can partake in, as well discover local fitness and cultural points of interest curated by lululemon’s local team.

    A space to stretch, sweat, connect and enjoy the latest collections, lululemon’s Venetian Macao store has been created to offer you retail space with a difference, helping you escape from the buzz of the city and find stillness, happiness, and above all fun.

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  • Carlton London launches its first store in Mumbai

    Carlton London launches its first store in Mumbai

    Carlton London, the leading fashion footwear and accessory brand has launched its first store in Mumbai at Phoenix Marketcity, Kurla. After running nine stores successfully in the Northern region including Delhi NCR and Punjab, the tenth store in Mumbai marks the expansion of the brand in the Western region of the country. Spread across an area of 1,200 sq.ft., the new Carlton London store is extremely spacious and offers a complete range of fashion footwear along with an exclusive collection of accessories.

    The store displays a wide range of footwear from party collection, work-wear and ballerinas to premium collection for men. Being one of the fastest growing fashion and accessory brand, Carlton London aims to target consumers across the country. The brand thrives at its philosophy of providing highest quality designs to the customers, which are at par with the international standards. Their diversified product line offers comfortable fashion which creates a mark of luxury while being affordable. Having established itself as one of the key players in the footwear industry, the brand caters to various age groups and target audience.

    Commenting on the store launch , Director, Carlton London, said, “We are extremely delighted to announce the launch of our first store in Mumbai. Being the fashion capital of India, Mumbai is a key market for us and we aim to expand our retail footprints in various parts of the country. We always work towards providing fresh and innovative designs to our customers and keep our collection in sync with the global runway trends.”

    “Like our other stores, the theme of the new store is inspired by rich British architecture. With a minimalistic approach, the store has soft and subtle lighting with elegant couches and fancy mirrors,” he added.

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  • Mothercare Malaysia retailer seeks IPO

    Mothercare Malaysia retailer seeks IPO

    Kim Hin Joo, operator of ELC and Mothercare Malaysia, is preparing for an IPO on Bursa Malaysia’s ACE Market. The move, expected to generate funding for the group’s further expansion and expenditure, will see a public issue of 76 million new shares (20 per cent of its enlarged share capital) and an offer of 57 million existing shares (15 per cent of its enlarged capital). Of those shares, 47 million will be reserved for selected investors. Pricing has yet to be decided.

    The firm’s non-executive chairman Pang Kim Hin will see his personal stake reduced to 62.3 per cent after the IPO from his current 90.3 per cent.

    Kim Hin Joo has 16 Mothercare locations and 11 ELC SIS in several major Malaysian centers, with 599 distribution points nationwide and 10 overseas. It plans to open four to five new Mothercare stores within the next three years in Kuala Lumpur, Johor Bahru, and outside the Klang Valley area.

    “We are in the midst of finalising a development agreement with toy retailer The Entertainer UK which will grant us the exclusive rights to open and operate The Entertainer toy outlets, and sell a broad range of toys,” the company said in a statement.

    “We target to conclude the discussions and sign the development agreement by the first half of 2019.”

    The group is also planning to concurrently revamp and upgrade its e-commerce platform by replacing its back-end IT infrastructure system and to expand its distribution portfolio.

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  • Inglot Vietnam makes debut in Vietnam

    Inglot Vietnam makes debut in Vietnam

    Polish cosmetics brand Inglot has opened its first Vietnam store, inside Vincom Lieu Giai in Hanoi. Located on the first floor of the shopping centre, the Inglot Vietnam store offers a free makeup area for customers to try its products before purchasing. Makeup artists are available to help customers find the right tones and ‘look’. Inglot Vietnam says the first store is something of a trial by the company before it opens a flagship shop in the nation’s commercial capital, Ho Chi Minh City, by the end of next month.

    Inglot is well known for its bolt shades and its Freedom System, which allows users and makeup artists to arrange eyeshadows, blush and lipsticks into on-the-go palettes. The brand has more than 900 stores in 75 countries.

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  • Sarment Holdings, Blackberry join to deliver security for luxury customer

    Sarment Holdings, Blackberry join to deliver security for luxury customer

    Sarment Holding Limited is pleased to announce that it is partnering with BlackBerry to co-develop KEYYES CHAT, a highly-encrypted messaging application to provide identity and overall data security management for Sarment’s rapidly growing ultra-high, and high-net worth user base. The development of KEYYES CHAT will be in conjunction with a series of other security-focused applications which are anticipated to be launched starting in 2019.

    The KEYYES CHAT application has been developed with the BlackBerry Spark Communications Services SDK, which provides end-to-end encrypted chat, voice, video and data transfer functionality. It includes FIPS-validated, app-level, AES 256-bit encryption to ensure data is always protected on a device, across the mobile network and into the enterprise infrastructure.

    “Working in collaboration with BlackBerry was an obvious choice for Sarment, given they have long been regarded as a global leader in secured data and communications. Integrating this technology into Sarment’s digital ecosystem KEYYES is one of the steps we are taking to continue to provide our communities with useful tools they can trust. We started with bookings, purchases, deliveries and now we are adding communication to solve the issue of privacy and data security for our growing user-base. By leveraging BlackBerry’s Spark Communications Services SDK communication technology, KEYYES CHAT users can feel confident that their data and privacy are certifiably secured,” said Will Beattie, Chief Technology Officer of Sarment Group.

    In 2018, Sarment launched a unique offering which has quickly garnered the attention of the luxury industry by migrating its network of consumers and luxury brand partners into a unique digital ecosystem named KEYYES. ​KEYYES works as a curator, service provider and experience planner. Users discover expert insights, purchase curated goods and make bookings at featured lifestyle venues like restaurants, bars, art galleries, spas, wellness retreats, fashion houses, private clubs, automotive showrooms and designer’s workshops. KEYYES is currently available in 5 cities in Asia and the Company is targeting to be in over 20 additional cities worldwide in the next 3 years.

    KEYYES CHAT will be integrated in KEYYES App but will also be available to the general public in a lighter format with the same level of end-to-end encrypted security. It will give users the possibility to discover and be informed about KEYYES world if they are not yet a member.

    “We are extremely excited to be working with BlackBerry to address the cyber security and overall privacy of our users, and look forward to growing the breadth of our technology and specific application portfolio together in the coming months and years,” said Quentin Chiarugi, CEO of Sarment Group. “Sarment plans to migrate all its employees’ communications and its partners using KEYYES CHAT as the only communication tool when the application is launched. We want to showcase to our corporate partners how valuable KEYYES can be for their own employees and their customers.”

    “As more and more of our private lives are shared and conducted online, the need for secure communications is critical,” said ​Alex Thurber, SVP and GM of Mobility Solutions, BlackBerry. “KEYYES delivers a useful service for high-net worth individuals, whose data may be of value to those with malicious intent, and being able to trust in the integrity of the chat system will be a primary decision-making factor for them in considering the service. With the BlackBerry Spark Communications SDK, KEYYES CHAT will allow seamless communication between members, partners and employees while protecting the privacy and security of its users.”

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  • Burberry unveils first-ever Chinese New Year campaign

    Burberry unveils first-ever Chinese New Year campaign

    British luxury fashion house Burberry has unveiled its first Chinese New Year campaign, celebrating family traditions and togetherness. The commercials, shot and directed by photographer Ethan James Green, star Chinese actresses and Burberry brand ambassadors Zhao Wei and Zhou Dongyu, who make their Burberry campaign debut. Inspired by classic portraiture, the campaign has been reimagined in an informal urban environment, and features classic Burberry pieces including archive-print scarves, the trench coat and tailoring, contrasting with urban staples including hoodies, t-shirts and joggers, all of which are now available globally online and in-store.

    “The campaign draws on the concept of families reuniting for the most important holiday of the year, and represents a sense of belonging, but in a very fresh way,” explains Zhao Wei. “It was great fun being back on set with Zhou Dongyu – I enjoyed it very much!”

    Gallery of the campaign (4 images) :

    Zhou Dongyu added: “A family portrait is a very simple concept, but the ceremonial sense behind it holds so much more. For me, being able to go home once a year to spend quality time with my family is something I value above all else, and I wouldn’t trade it for anything.”

    For the campaign, Zhao Wei wore a sleeveless keyhole detail top, reissued Society-print silk scarf and gold plated link drop earrings. Zhou Dongyu wore a vintage check wool jacket with palladium plated link drop earrings.